Colloquium rekindles hope for new beginning

The 10th Bola Tinubu Colloquium evoked memories of the coalition that kicked out the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. This year’s gathering of friends and associates of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as well as other Nigerians from all walks of life, which took place under the theme, Investing in People, provides a foretaste of what to expect in the campaign for next year’s general elections. Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI reports.

THE 10th Bola Tinubu Colloquium was a parade of every big name in the All Progressives Congress (APC). At the event, which was held at the Convention Centre, Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, chieftains of the party, particularly elected and appointed officials, were joined by captains of industry, first class traditional rulers and members of the diplomatic corps, to mark the 66th birthday of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the man who was the rallying point of the coalition that executed the campaign for the last general elections. It is remarkable that Asiwaju was able to bring together almost all serving APC governors, lawmakers, a handful of ministers, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and President Muhammadu Buhari under one roof in Lagos.

To all intents and purposes, last Thursday’s colloquium, which took place under the theme, Investing in People, was the first serious attempt to kick-start President Buhari’s re-election campaign. The Guest of Honour, Prof. Osinbajo, set the tone for the discussion when he took a swipe at the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which maintains that the Buhari administration has not achieved much in close to three years on the saddle.

Osinbajo said even though members of the PDP are not comfortable with the subject that Nigerians must be reminded always of the mindless looting of the recent past, because the corruption of the previous five years was what destroyed the Nigerian economy.

Osinbajo said: “Let me give you an example. In 2014, when oil was at between $100 and $114 a barrel, the actual releases for capital for three ministries – Power, Works and Housing – then they were three separate ministries — was in total N99 billion; while Transportation got N14 billion, and Agriculture got N15 billion. I’m talking about actual releases, not budgeted, what they actually got.

“Let’s compare that with capital releases to the same ministries in 2017, when oil price was between $50 and $60 a barrel, N415 billion for Power, Works & Housing, N80 billion for Transportation; N65 billion for Agriculture; totaling N560 billion, in a time when we were earning at least 50 per cent less than we were earning in 2014.

“What is the reason why this is possible? It is possible because if you do not steal the resources of the people, you can spend on the projects that concern the people; it is as simple as that. If you are not stealing the money, you will spend it on the right things, and this is what we have seen. When the President insisted that the Treasury Single Account (TSA) must be done, we suddenly discovered that we actually could see for ourselves how much money was available in the system, and so much money was available. We doubled the money from everywhere, and we found out that this money was available.

“And when we say that this same government that spent N139 Billion only on all of Agric, Power, Works and Housing, Transport, etc; spent between January 2015 and the elections, the sum of a N100 billion in cash and $289 million, altogether about a N100 billion in cash, was released and spent, shared. This sum of money was in excess of the amount of money that was spent on Power, Works and Housing. And this is the point we are making, that there is no country in the world, and we must know this; there is no country in the world that would allow its resources to be plundered in the way our own resources were plundered and expect to be economically viable; it is not possible.”

The Vice President said though the country is earning about 50 per cent less than what it was receiving five years ago, it is investing several times more, particularly in agriculture, infrastructure and in pro-poor social investment programmes, to create jobs and provide enough food for the people. “In our agriculture programme, I’m sure that many would already agree that this has been a tremendous success. Several millions of Nigerians have been employed in agriculture,” he added.

After explaining what led to the institution of the colloquium as an annual event, the Vice President said the foundation for whatever progress that has been achieved in Lagos State today was laid through the intellectual discourse encouraged by the celebrant.

President Buhari, who chaired the event, spoke immediately after Osinbajo stepped down from the podium. In his usual jocular manner, he said he was wrong-footed, being asked to speak after the brilliant performance put up by his deputy.

Buhari described Tinubu as a “friend and a political partner” and called on all Nigerians to join him in celebrating a man “who is widely known as a political strategist”. He said: “I have come to see him as a man who cares about people and who is a fountain of ideas for economic development and improving the situation of the common man and woman. He is a true humanitarian and we appreciate his contributions to Nigeria’s and Africa’s progress.”

He thanked Osinbajo and other members for initiating the idea of the colloquium 10 years ago. He added: “Over the course of those 10 years, we have traveled far in one sense, yet have moved but a few steps in another. We as a people and a nation are in the midst of a grand endeavour. We seek to change the ways and means of our collective existence; we seek to construct a nation where leaders no longer rule by whim but govern according to law and for the betterment of the people.

“We seek to replace corruption with correctness, insecurity with safety and poverty with prosperity. The road we tread is rough and hard in spots. The search for progress and reform has its rough patches. Many will fight you and connive to deter the march toward a better land. But that march is inevitable. There is no mortal hand that can keep us from our best destiny, unless that hand be our own.”

Buhari said his government has tried to invest in people. He said forums such as the colloquium present ideas and spark important discussions that enliven the country’s national discourse and enrich its policy options.

He said: “We seek to rebuild what has been wrongfully constructed and to plant a firm foundation for progress where nothing now exists.

Our goal is to bring together every section of the nation and every Nigerian of every creed, every region and ethnic group in mutually beneficial, productive, social, economic and political relationships. To accomplish our historic mission we must invest in people.

“Here, I can say that the expenditures made by this government constitute investment in and for the people. We depend on the people to govern. This government recognizes this, hence our investment in critical areas that touch the lives of people directly. Social investment programmes; the school feeding programme; and massive investments in agriculture, a sector that employs over 65 per cent of our people.

“We strive to set Nigeria on an irreversible path of growth and development. This is the objective that guides our investments and expenditures as a government. We join hands to build a better country. We are resolute in our commitment to uplift our people and to make Nigeria a better place.”

As the celebrant, Tinubu had the honour of speaking last. He mounted the podium amidst a thunderous ovation from his supporters in the hall, who launched it a song: “On your mandate we shall stand.”

The former Lagos State governor was apparently excited. He jettisoned his prepared speech and spoke extempore. The APC National Leader advised Nigerians not to accept the recent apology tendered by the PDP for its mistakes while in power, describing it as a deceitful ploy to hoodwink Nigerians into voting for the opposition party in next year’s elections.

He said: “For 16 years, they made fake promises, gave us fake figures and they tell us, ‘Don’t talk about it’. It is like, after catching a thief and he tells you, ‘Don’t look at me, go and steal your own’. We are soldering on. We have a good leader to rely on. We have hope.”

He alluded to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter advising Buhari not to contest in 2019, saying the motive for the letter is suspicious; bad belle, as he put it in pidgin parlance.

An excited Tinubu was full of praises for the President, as well the Vice President and other dignitaries that graced the occasion. He said: “The ship of state was about to wreck, but President Buhari steered the ship back. The voyage is the voyage of hope. We are reinventing and re-directing Nigeria. It is not an easy voyage to embark on.”

He said: “We came as APC leaders with a lot of hope. We were discussing. We believe in ourselves and Nigeria, that we can change Nigeria. And we are still going to do it. It came with challenges. Our logo is not honey or sugar, but broom; a united Nigeria against terrorism, corruption, insecurity and for the revival of the economy.”

 

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